Simjian
envelope handling apparatus



Sept. 7, 1965 L. e. SIMJIAN 3,204,503

ENVELOPE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 17, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

LUTHER G. SIMJIAN INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

EMALAMQ AGENT.

United States Patent 3,204,503 ENVELOPE HANDLING APPARATUS Luther G. Simjian, Greenwich, Conn., assignor to Universal Match Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 17, 1963, Ser. No. 331,312 20 Claims. (Cl. 83-400) This invention relates to envelope handling apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus for opening a sealed envelope which contains valuable documents.

In US. Patent No. 3,076,965, granted; to me on February 5, 1963, entitled Depository Machine Combined With Image Recording Means, there is disclosed a machine which is especially adapted to receive an unsealed envelop containing a plurality of documents, such as currency or checks, to extract the documents from the envelope, to individually photograph and to store the documents, and to provide a receipt for the transaction.

In US. Serial No. 315,016, filed by me on October 9, 1963, entitled Depository Machine," there is disclosed a machine which will receive a plurality of sealed envelopes, each containing documents, will automatically extract the documents from each of the envelopes, will individually photograph and store the documents from each of the envelopes, and will provide a receipt for each envelope.

In US. Serial No. 314,945, now Patent No. 3,187,986, filed by me on October 9, 1963, entitled Envelope, there is disclosed an envelope which has an inner bafile panel, an is especially adapted to transport relatively limp or flexible documents of value and to be opened by the apparatus disclosed in US. Serial No. 315,016 without any possibility of damage to the limp documents.

Such a capability is particularly desirable in the banking field where many envelopes must be opened quickly and the valuable documents contained therein must be separated safely and quickly from their envelope. It is particularly desirable that such a capability be provided with respect to conventional envelopes, which envelopes may not include the features shown in U.S. Serial No. 314,945.

An object, therefore, of this invention is the provision of an envelope opening apparatus which will safely open sealed conventional envelopes without injury to the documents contained in the envelopes.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an envelope opening apparatus which may be incorporated into the system of US. Serial No. 315,016 to safely open sealed conventional envelopes without injury to the documents and to separate the documents from the envelopes.

A feature of this invention is the provision of: means for forming an aperture in one end or junction of a conventional envelope between the two main panels of the envelope; means for spreading apart the two panels adjacent the aperture; means for disposing the contents adjacent the aperture of the envelope in juxtaposition with one of the panels, thereby providing a gap adjacent the aperture between the contents and the other of the panels; and means for severing the two panels apart, which means is insertable through the aperture into the gap.

These and other objects and features of this invention will become more apparent by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top view, partially in section, of an apparatus embodying this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a partial side view in cross-section, taken along line IIII in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a detail side view of FIGURE 2 show- 3,204,503 Patented Sept. 7-, 1965 ice ing the entry of the envelope severing means into an aperture formed in the envelope; and

FIGURE 4 is a partial rear view in cross-section, taken along line IV-IV in FIGURE 3.

Turning now to the drawings, it will be seen that the envelope severing apparatus is generally disposed Within a right side plate 10, a left side plate 12, a front plate 14 and a bottom plate 16. An inwardly flanged aperture 18 is provided in the front plate to permit the entrance of an envelope 20.

An envelope feeding assembly is disposed adjacent the aperture 18. This assembly comprises an upper roller 22 which is fixed on a shaft 24, a lower front roller 26 which is fixed on a shaft 28, and a lower rear roller 30 Which is fixed on a shaft 32. These three shafts are journaled through the side plates 10 and 12. The shaft 24 is fitted with a bearing system permitting vertical movement, and is biased downwardly. The shafts 28 and 32 are fitted in fixed bearings. A support plate 34 is fixed between the side plates 10 and 12 and the lower rollers 26 and 30. A feed belt 36 is passed around the lower rollers 26 and 30 and the support plate 34. A drive motor 38 is coupled to the roller 28. A snap action switch 40 is fixed to the front plate 14 below the aperture 18, and has a feeler-actuator 42 which extends into the aperture. When an envelope is inserted through the aperture, it deflects the feeler to actuate the switch 40, which in turn energizes the motor 38. When the leading end of the envelope enters the nip of the roller 22 and the belt 36, the envelope is carried rearwardly to an assembly for forming an aperture in the leading end of the envelope.

The aperture forming assembly comprises a fixed blade 44 and movable blade 46. The fixed blade is fixed between the side plates 10 and 12 and rearwardly of the lower roller 30, and has an upper surface which is level with the upper surface of the feed belt 36. The movable blade 46 is fixed at each end respectively to two journals 48 and 50. The journals are slideably mounted on two guides 52 and 54 respectively, which are fixed outside the side plates 10 and 12 respectively, to two extensions of the bottom plate 16. The blade 46 passes through two vertically elongated apertures 56 and 58 in the side plates 10 and 12 respectively. A solenoid 60 is fixed to the bottom plate 16 between the side plates, and has a plunger 62 which terminates in a bifurcation 64 which is pinned at 66 to the lower portion of the movable blade 46. A helical compression spring 68 is loosely fitted around the plunger between the blade and the solenoid and serves to bias the movable blade to its upper position as shown in FIGURE 2. When the solenoid is energized it draws the movable blade downwardly to the lower position shown in FIGURE 3.

The blades 44 and 46 are adapted to form an aperture in the leading end of the envelope by shearing off a sliver of a medial portion of that edge, which sliver is not substantially thicker than the thickness of the thickest paper stock used in conventional envelopes. The forward face 70 of the movable blade is flat except for a projection 72 which is medially located in an upper portion of the blade. The projection 72 has a cutting edge 74 formed on its lower forward corner. The rearward face '76 of the fixed blade is flat except for a recess 78 which is the mate to the projection 72. The recess 78 has a cutting edge 80 formed on its upper rearward corner. The recess 78 is relieved below the cutting edge 80.

The movable blade 46 is normally biased to its upper position as shown in FIGURE 2. When an envelope is passed through the aperture 18 it is fed by the feeding assembly until the lead end of the envelope, leaves the feed belt 36, passes over the upper surface of fixed blade 44 and abuts the forward face 70 of the movable blade 46. A snap action switch 82 is fixed to the forward face of the fixed blade 44 and has a feeler-actuator 84 which extends between and above the roller 30 and the blade 44. When the leading edge of the envelope passes from the belt 36 to the blades it depresses the feeler 84 to actuate the switch 82. The switch 82, after a delay which is adequate to permit the leading edge of the envelope to reach the forward face 70' of the movable blade, deenergizes the belt motor 38, and energizes the solenoid 60, which in turn draws the movable blade down to the lower position shown in FIGURE 3. This lowering of the blade causes the cutting edges '74 and 80 to shear off a sliver from a medial portion of the leading edge of the envelope, thereby providing an aperture in this edge.

A means for severing the envelope comprises a daggerlike blade 86 and two scissor-like blades 88 and 90. The dagger-like blade has a thickened head portion 92 having a round-pointed tip 94, and a leg portion 96 which is fixed to the side plate 10. The two scissor-like blades are pivotally mounted at 98 to the blade 86. A crosslink 100 is also pivotally mounted to the blade 86 at 102. This link carries a stud 104 which is slidably disposed through a slot 106 in the blade 88, and a stud 108 which is slidably disposed through a slot 110 in the blade 90. The side plates and 12 are apertured at 112 and 114 respectively to pass the distal ends of the blades 88 and 90 as they are pivoted away from the blade 86. A solenoid 116 is fixed to the outside of the side plate 12, and has a plunger 118 which is pinned at 120' through a slot 122 in a short arm of a bell crank 124. The bell crank is pivoted at 126 through the aperture 114, and has a long arm which is pinned at 128 to an end of a link 130, the other end of which is pinned at 132 to the distal end of the blade 90. A pin 134 is fixed to the outside of the side plate 12 and one end of a tension spring 136 is fixed thereto. The other end of the spring is fixed to the short arm of the bell crank and biases the bell crank, and, thereby, the scissors-blades to their closed position, shown in solid lines in FIGURE 1. When the solenoid 116 is energized, the scissor-blades are pivoted to their open position, shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 1.

A means for inserting the severing means into the aperture in the leading end of the envelope, adjacent to and below the upper panel of the envelope and above any contained documents, includes a pair of angled, friction surfaced, rollers 138 and 140, and a suction tube 142. A shaft 144 is journaled through the side plates 10 and 12. Fixed to the shaft 144 is a pair of resilient arms 146 and 148, each bifurcated at its distal end and carrying the rollers 138 and 140 respectively on two axles 150 and 152 respectively. The bifurcations are bent with respect to their arms, to angle the rollers towards each other as shown in FIGURE 1. A solenoid 154 is fixed to the outside of the side plate 12 and has a plunger 156 terminating in an enlarged bifurcation. One end of a link 158 is pinned to this bifurcation at 160, and the other end is pinned to a crank arm 162 at 164, which is fixed to an end of the shaft 144. The suction tube 142 is pivotally supported at its upper end by a shaft 166 which is fixed between the side plates 10 and 12. The suction tube is coupled to a suction source 168 by a flexible tube 170. The lower end of the suction tube is coated with an annulus of friction material and is disposed between the rollers 138 and 140. A solenoid 172 is fixed to a bracket 174 which is fixed between the side plates 10 and 12 and has a plunger .176. The plunger is pinned at 182 to the suctiofi tube 142. A snap action switch 184 is fixed to the side plate 12 and has a feeler-actuator 186, which is deflected by the movable blade 46 when it approaches its lower position, to actuate the switch. The switch, when actuated,

causes the suction source to provide a suction at the lower end of the suction tube 142. As shown in FIG- URE 4, the upper panel of the envelope 20 is drawn by the suction against the lower end of the suction tube. After a suitable delay, the solenoid 154 is energized, which rotates the crank 162 and the shaft 144 to lower the rollers 138 and from their upper position, shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2, to their lower position in which they press against the envelope 20, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2. After an additional delay, the solenoid 172 is energized, which swings the lower end of the suction tube rearwar-dly, as shown in FIG- URE 3. The tube carries the upper panel of the envelope with it as it swings, moving this panel rearwardly and upwardly. As the envelope is moved rearwardly, the rollers 138 and 140' press against the envelope, and by their rotation at an angle to the rearward direction of movement of the envelope, provide opposed transverse forces on the upper panel to cause the upper panel to bulge away from the documents contained in the en velope and the lower panel of the envelope, forming a gap into which the tip 94 of the dagger blade enters.

A means for feeding the envelope during severing includes two rollers and 192 mounted on a pair of axles 194 and 196 respectively, each journaled through the side plates 10 and 12. A support plate 198 is fixed between these rollers to the side plates, and a belt 200 is disposed around these rollers and the support plate, all beneath the blades 86, 88 and 90. Two angled, friction surfaced rollers 202 and 204 are disposed above the blades. The plane through each roller is out of parallel with the direction of movement of the envelope by an acute angle as shown in FIGURE 1. A cross-bracket 206 is fixed between the side plates 10 and 12. Two vertical keyed holes are provided in the bracket, and two keyed rods 212 and 214 are respectively disposed in the holes. The rods are free to reciprocate, but not to rotate in the holes. The rods each have a bifurcation 216 and 128 respectively, into which the rollers 202 and 204 are respectively rotatably mounted. Two helical compression springs (224 shown) are respectively loosely fitted on the rods between the bracket and the bifurcations to bias the rollers towards the roller 190. Two crosspins (226 shown) are respectively fitted to the tops of the rods to preclude the rods from dropping out of the holes. A flexible shaft 228 is journaled through the side plates 10 and 12 and the bifurcations 216 and 218, and is fixed to the rollers 202 and 204. A motor 230 is coupled to rotate the shaft and, thereby, the rollers. A snap action switch 232 is fixed to the side plate 12 and has a feeler-actuator 234 disposed adjacent, forwardly of, and above the tip 94 of the blade. When the suction tube swings the leading edge of the envelope onto the blade, this edge deflects the feeler to actuate the switch. After a short delay this switch energizes the motor 230 which rotates the rollers 202 and 204 to drive the envelope rearwardly and further onto the blades 86, 88 and 90. These rollers, by their mutual rotation at an angle to the rearward direction of movement of the envelope provide opposed transverse forces on the upper panel to cause the upper panel to bulge away from the blades, the documents in the envelope and the lower panel of the envelope.

A clamp assembly, which is similar to that shown in Serial No. 315,016, is disposed to the rear of the blade assembly. The clamp assembly includes a pair of guide rods 236 and 238 extending rearwardly from an end of the side plate 10, and a carriage block 240 journaled for movement on the guide rods. An upper clamp arm 242 and a lower clamp arm 244 are coupled to the block 240 and are actuated by suitable cams to pivot towards and away from each other. A snap action switch 246 is mounted to the base plate and has a feeler-actuator 248 which is disposed rearwardly and above the roller 192.

When the envelope has been driven fully onto the blades, the leading edge, now severed, deflects the feeler 248 to actuate the switch. The switch actuates a suitable drive mechanism (shown in Serial No. 315,016) to traverse the clamp carriage forwardly, to bring the clamp arms together to grasp the leading portion of the envelope about the rear of the blade 86, and to traverse the clamp carriage rearwardly, carrying the envelope rearwardly. When the clamp has grasped the envelope, this mechanism also energized the solenoid 116 to spread apart the blades 88 and 90 to their dotted line position as shown in FIGURE 1. The clamp carriage continues to traverse rearwardly, thereby severing the two side edges, and the trailing edge of the envelope. The envelope, now severed into two independent panels, and the documents contained therebetween are carried by the clamp carriage away from the severing means for further processing such as photographing and separation of the documents from the envelope panels.

I have thus described my invention, but I desire it to be understood that it is not confined to the particular forms or uses shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, therefore, I claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claims, by means of which the objects of my invention are attained and the new results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments here shown and described are only some of the many that can be employed to attain these objects and toaccomplish these results. I

I claim:

1. Apparatus for handling an envelope having two main panels, comprising:

means for receiving an envelope;

means, coupled to said receiving means, for forming an aperture in the envelope;

means for severing apart the two panels;

feeding means for spreading apart the two panels adjacent the aperture and for inserting said severing means through the aperture into the envelope between the panels; and

control means, coupled to said receiving means, said aperture forming means and said feeding means, for causing the operation of said aperture forming means and said feeding means.

2. Apparatus for handling an envelope having two main panels, comprising:

means for receiving an envelope;

means, coupled to said receiving means, for forming an aperture in one junction of the envelope between the two main panels;

means for severing apart the two main panels;

feeding means for spreading apart the two main panels adjacent the aperture and for inserting said severing means through the aperture into the envelope between the main panels; and

control means, coupled to said receiving means, said aperture forming means and said feeding means, for causing the sequential operation of said aperture forming means and said feeding means.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein:

said aperture forming means comprises a pair of opposed blades for shearing off a sliver from a portion of one edge of an envelope.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein:

one of said blades serves as a stop for aligning the edge of the envelope which is sheared.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein:

said feeding means includes a device for moving one panel of the envelope with respect to the other panel, and for providing relative movement between said severing means and the envelope.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein:

said device comprises a suction tube.

6 7. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein: said feeding means includes first means for moving the envelope in a longitudinal direction, and 5 second means for moving one of the main panels of the envelope in a transverse direction with respect to the other of the main panels. 8. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein: said feeding means includes first means for moving the envelope in a longitudinal direction; second means and third means, said second means for moving one of the main panels of the envelope in a transverse direction with respect to the other of the main panels towards said third means, said third means for moving the one of the main panels in a transverse direction with respect to the other of the main panels towards said second means, whereby said second means and said third means cause the one of the main panels to bulge away from the other of the main panels. 9. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein: said feeding means includes means for moving the envelope in a given direction, and a pair of friction rollers engaging one of the main panels of the envelope, each roller being journaled so as to provide a force on the engaged panel in a direction transverse to the given direction of the movement of the 4 envelope, whereby said rollers cause the engaged panel to, bulge ,up between said rollers away from the other panel of the envelope. .10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein: said severing means includes a daggerdike structure having a leading portion which is initially inserted into the aperture in the envelope between the bulged apart panels. -11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein: said feeding means includes an additional pair of rollers, one disposed on each side of said leading portion of said dagger-like structure and both engaging the bulged panel of the envelope, each additional roller being journaled so as to provide a force on the engaged panel in .a direction transverse to the given direction of the movement of the envelope, whereby said additional rollers cause the engaged panel to continue to bulge up between said additional rollers and away from said dagger-like structure and the other panel of the envelope. 12. An apparatus according to claim 10 further in cluding:

means for moving said severing means with respect to the envelope; said control means also coupled to said moving means for causing said severing means to move with respect to the envelope after it has been inserted through the aperture between the main panels of the envelope. 13. Apparatus for handling an envelope having two main panels and containing documents therebetween comprising: 60 means for receiving an envelope;

means, coupled to said receiving means, for forming an aperture in one junction of the envelope between the two main panels; means for severing apart the two main panels; feeding means for spreading apart the two main panels adjacent the aperture and for disposing the contained documents adjacent the aperture in juxtaposition to one of the main panels, thereby providing a gap adjacent the aperture between the documents and the other of the main panels, and for inserting said severing means through the aperture into the gap; and control means, coupled to said receiving means, said aperture forming means and said feeding means for causing the sequential operation of said aperture forming means and said feeding means.

14. An .apparatus according to claim 13 wherein:

said feeding means includes a device for moving one panel of the envelope with respect to the contained documents and the other panel, and for providing relative movement between said severing means and the envelope. 7

15. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein:

said device comprises a suction tube.

16. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein:

said feeding means includes first means for moving the envelope in a longitudinal direction, and

second means for moving one of the main panels of the envelope in a transverse direction with respect to the other of the main panels.

-17. An apparatus according to claim v13 wherein:

said feeding means includes first means for moving the envelope in a longitudinal direction,

second means and third means,

said second means for moving one of the main panels of the envelope in a transverse direction with respect to the other of the main panels towards said third means,

said third means for moving the one of the main panels in a transverse direction with respect to the other of the main panels towards said sec-0nd means,

whereby said second means and said third means cause the one of the main panels to bulge away from the other of the main panels.

'18. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein:

said feeding means includes means for moving the envelope in a given direction, and a pair of friction rollers engaging one of the main panels of the envelope, each roller being journaled so as to provide a force on the engaged panel in a direction transverse to the given direction of the movement of the envelope, whereby said rollers cause the engaged panel to slide on the contained documents and the other panel to bulge up between said rollers away from the documents and the other panel.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18 wherein:

said severing means includes a dagger-like structure having a leading portion which is initially inserted through the aperture into the gap between the bulged panel and the documents and the other panel of the envelope.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19 wherein:

said feeding means includes an additional pair of rollers, one disposed on each side of said leading portion of said dagger-like structure and both engaging the bulged panel of the envelope, each additional roller being journaled so as to provide a force on the engaged panel in a direction transverse to the given direction of the movement of the envelope, whereby said additional rollers cause the engaged panel to continue to bulge up between said additional rollers and away from said dagger-like structure, the contained documents and the other main panel of the envelope.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,603,265 10/26 Beyer 8349 1,938,394 12/33 Lyon 8349 2,027,045 l/36 Keiser 834l8 2,146,1 10 2/39 Dummer 83-418 WILLIAM W. DYER, 111., Primary Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR HANDLING AN ENVELOPE HAVING TWO MAIN PANELS, COMPRISING: MEANS FOR RECEIVING AN ENVELOPE; MEANS, COUPLED TO SAID RECEIVING MEANS, FOR FORMING AN APERTURE IN THE ENVELOPE; MEANS FOR SEVERING APART THE TWO PANELS; FEEDING MEANS FOR SPREADING APART THE TWO PANELS ADJACENT THE APERTURE AND FOR INSERTING SAID SEVERING MEANS THROUGH THE APERTURE INTO THE ENVELOPE BETWEEN THE PANELS; AND CONTROL MEANS, COUPLED TO SAID RECEIVING MEANS, SAID APERTURE FORMING MEANS AND SAID FEEDING MEANS, FOR CAUSING THE OPERATION OF SAID APERTURE FORMING MEANS AND SAID FEEDING MEANS. 